If there’s one thing that we can say about Chef David Cingari it’s that he’s one of the kindest, most fun people you’ll ever meet. But, don’t be fooled by his booming laugh and kind heart, he’s one badass when it comes to cooking and running his super popular catering company, David’s Soundview Catering. And, while he’s been making marks on the culinary scene with his company since 1998, he’s never done looking for the next best thing. Last year he openedCafe 1000 in Bridgeport which made its mission to feed locals and workers for breakfast and lunch. And now, David has made things even more amazing with two new additions.

The first addition is David hired the ever-smiling Francois Kwaku-Dongo, his new Executive Chef. Readers of our blog should know that name because he was the opening chef at JHouse in Greenwich, as well as the Executive Chef at l’escale. Yep, he’s got some major cred (and skills), so much so that we can’t even list them all here.

With Fairfield County’s active food scene, it’s no problem trying a new restaurant whenever you want. But, sometimes you might want more than a meal out. Maybe you want to take those restaurant-quality dishes home with you to make whenever you want. Again, there are certainly many cooking classes that you can try out here in the 203, but many are simple meals or involve basic skills.

Some of the steps involved in making a great ceviche

So, we were very excited to learn about Karen Brownlow of Chop Shop Cooking. She loved cooking for friends and at parties so much that she decided to study cooking at The New York Restaurant School in Manhattan. Seeing her talent, they kept her on in their catering department and became one of their head chefs in charge of the many events that they cater. From there, she worked at Abigail Kirsch and even started her own catering company. As her life got busier and she wanted to spend more time with her family, she decided to stop catering, but…and here’s where Chop Shop came in…but, her friends convinced her to start cooking classes. And, so Chop Shop Cooking was born!

Update: we talked with Mario at Bodega and he dished all about the new truck. The plan is to have the truck out every day, whether they are catering, hitting up an office building, a very hungry location, or at an event. They’ll be equipped for tacos, burritos, and more. Finally, you can fulfill your dream of having your very own burrito party! Oh, and you just might see the truck in as few as two weeks…

Yeah, we nearly burst like a piñata when we heard the news…Bodega Taco Bar, located in Darien and Fairfield, will be launching a food truck and a catering biz starting this April. Umm, yes please! It’s hard to beat those tacos, oh, and we’ve had nearly every single one they serve.

So, if you want a lil’ bit of taco nirvana, call ’em up at (203) 259-TACO.

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like balls, lots and lots of balls. And, just as The Local Meatball says, you’ll “Ball in Love” with the deal they’ve got going on starting today and going until 2/16! If you call Mike and co. up at (203) 258-6317 and set up a catering job, they’ll get ya a sweet deal…you don’t even need the specific date yet. If you’re planning on ballin’ it with up to 25 guests, they’ll give you a $50 discount and you’ll only pay $400. And, if you’ve having a big party for 25-50 people, they’ll drop the price down $75 to $800. You don’t just get a choice of 3 meatballs, either. You’ll also get rolls, drinks, and the guest of honor gets a The Local Meatball shirt!

If you take advantage of this order, you’ll have their tried and true variety of meatballs that have been taking Fairfield County by storm, but there will also be some new additions. Mike DiStassio, owner and head-baller, told us that they’ll have two new balls available: a Bacon Cheeseburger and Sausage and Peppers balls. In addition, for catering only, they’ll be introducing their gluten-free ball!

David Cingari and Mayor Finch make it official on Feb 12 at the Cafe 1000 Grand Opening party! Just a note: not sure we can trust him with scissors that big! Eeek. (all photos from David’s Soundview Catering)

David Cingari is. the. man. He’s a graduate of not only New Haven Hotel & Restaurant Management, but also of the Culinary Institute of America. On a personal level, he is probably one of the nicest and most hilarious guys that you’ll ever met, and he’s also the proud owner and Head Chef of David’s Soundview Catering in Stamford. We got to know him and the DSC crew at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s Maple Sugar Chef’s Challenge, and at many charitable events that they support and help organize. Needless to say, when it comes to awesome food like their redonkulous taco bar that we tasted at Fine Food for a Cause, they’ve got it all under control. And, with over 25 years under their belts, David’s Soundview Catering has garnered an excellent reputation, becoming a staple in the community.

Stamford…and now Bridgeport

Well, we’ve got some great news to share with you: David’s expanded a bit out of Stamford with the recent addition (opened 5 weeks ago) of Cafe 1000. His idea for this brand new restaurant? Offer up some great, high quality breakfast and lunch options for the good people of Bridgeport. The area they moved into (the ground floor at 1000 Lafayette Street) will soon house over 600 new apartment units, is close to 95, the train, and even the waterfront. Plus, Bridgeport is a great and growing alternative for young professionals with costs noticeably more affordable than Stamford.

Ryan Cuber of Savory Smoke Catering took the OmNomCT cooking demo stage this past Sunday at Pork in the Park and rocked it. While at first there were 10 people, as he began to put together his corn salsa and the yogurt slaw to go on top of his BBQ tacos, more and more people crowded in, producing a gentle food mob. They listened intently, asking questions, and waited in anticipation for the tacos. And, let’s just say it was so worth the wait in the hot sun…the tacos were amazing!

Tequila in the pork (and some in the shot glass) make up a perfect taco

1. If no smoker, slow roast, for a true BBQ experience.
2. If no smoker, Rub the meat with liquid smoke, before you dry rub.
3. Lower the temp, the better the meat, between 200-225 is perfect.
4. Mop your meat every four hours, fruit juices work nicely, or be creative.
5. Allow meat to reach upwards of 200 before pulling.

Sup dudes? When you’re done shredding some waves you’ll wanna check out Fairfield County’s newest food truck, Cowabunga Food Truck Grill and Soft Serve. Their motto? “Surf’s up, so chow down!” Chow down on what you ask? We’re talking lots of goodies from the grill and lots of soft serve ice cream. The truck is the brainchild of Benjamin Boger who actually started with his own ice cream truck and business in Miami, Ben’s Ice Cream Truck. Now, you could imagine how popular ice cream is down there. Especially when you party in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach till the break of dawn (points if you get the reference). One day he hit up the Food Truck Roundup and he was blown away by how awesome food truck food could be. He joked that these aren’t the kind of food carts that he was used to seeing in New York City.

Inspiration hit and he knew that he wanted to create a food truck that would show off his love of ice cream, but would also pump out some great food. He found a gnarly 1993 step van from a bread distributor, packed up all his things, then headed back north to his homestate…Connecticut. And now, we have Cowabunga!

The BBQ game in Connecticut’s been smoking hot lately with new restaurants popping up like Dinosaur Bar-b-que and Bobby Q’s Pit Stop. And, now we’ve got our own mobile BBQ catering crew: Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ. Pitmaster Matt Lombardo said that he was disappointed in not being able to find good Memphis style bbq in the Nutmeg State. When we talked on the phone, he laughed, and said, “I just figured I’d do it myself, then!” And, he’s already on the path to Southern BBQ in Connecticut. With him on that trail is his wife Stacey and his friend Chris Sparaco. As Chris spends more time with Matt (a licensed caterer in Darien) and business grows, Chris very well might head on out into the great yonder with his very own mobile pit to double team the state.

Speaking of pits, Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ is sportin’ a pit from a company out in Georgia. It’s an indirect wood/charcoal smoker. Perfect for smoking the heck out of ribs, pork, brisket, and chicken. We were interested in what Matt thought about what made good Memphis BBQ and he told us, “With any BBQ, it’s time. I like to think that you can taste the time that goes into the right BBQ. Do it low and slow. Our brisket and chuck are smoked for 18-20 hours.”

So, let’s talk a bit more about their options and what you can expect if you get them to cater your shindig. Starting off, Matt’s a huge fan of the brisket, though he’s very partial because brisket is his favorite (us too Matt, us too). They have also been really impressed by how great their pulled pork turned out to be. They also have pulled chicken, pork ribs, and beef ribs to nom away on. For sides, check out their baked beans with brown sugar & bacon, coleslaw, their cornbread, and other sides are also available upon request. But, let’s circle back to the cornbread. You can order it plain or with…wait for it…no, really, wait for it…bacon. Yes, Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ throws in some diced bacon into the cornbread and they can even add in some diced jalapeño, too! We’re so jonesin’ for some of that now, you have no idea. They’ll also be throwin’ down with pig roasts, yes sir-eeee Bob. For just $20 per person (with a minimum of 50 people), you’ll get a whole hog cooked low and slow on the smoker, homemade coleslaw, and their baked beans with brown sugar & bacon.

Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk is the place to be. Even with their larger digs, the place is still brimming with hungry people who are dying for some killer food. People will still wait (and don’t mind waiting) for their shot at getting some amazing arepas, empanadas, killer breakfasts, main dishes, specials of the day, and fresh ceviche. If you want proof, come in during lunch time! If you can’t get enough of Valencia, don’t fret. Chef Michael Young and all the good people at this Norwalk go-to joint have you covered with a special Thanksgiving catering menu. Let’s be honest: sometimes it’s not always so easy to make a meal, especially after so many of us are recovering after Hurricane Sandy. Plus, we bet there are some of you out there who just don’t want to cook. Don’t worry…we won’t single you out. ;)

So, look over this menu and think about your strategy. Do you want to order your turkey dressed and ready to cook or with the stuffing already inside? What kinds of soup, salads, sides, gravies, and desserts do you want with your meal? You can mix and match to your heart’s content, helping you put together an awesome holiday meal. The best option is the Thanksgiving Package for 12 people at $275. You get a turkey that’s dressed, stuffed and ready to cook, a soup, any four sides, Jack Daniels gravy, and even some yummy pumpkin flan. Don’t sweat it if you have extra guests because they’ll charge only $25 per person extra. Do the math on this deal and you’ll see it’s actually a great price; it’s especially worth the cost when you consider the time it’ll save you. Maybe you can use that time to talk with family, drink some vino, and just relax? You know you deserve it.